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Monika Ronk
Mr. Phillips
H. Cultural Media Literacy, 02
22 May 2016
Research Essay
Video Games: Risk vs. Reward
As the CPU cooling fan slows to a stop and the monitor fades to a murky shade of black,
the computer is laid to rest once again as the gamer ceases to please their never-ending desire to
enthrall themselves in the complex, virtual world known as video games. Whether an individual
plays video games to satisfy their addiction, pass time on a weekend, or even compete in a series
of friendly competitions, there remains the underlying, controversial question of whether all of
this gameplay is beneficial or corrosive to the human body and brain. It has been argued that
playing video games improves a number of the human bodys abilities such as manual dexterity
and problem solving skills among countless others, however, there is still the dilemma that this
computer consumption is doing more harm than good to people. This predicament leads one to
wonder, To what extent does playing video games improve an individuals manual dexterity and
problem solving skills?
To begin, one must recognize that not everyone agrees with video games as being a
beneficial pastime, in fact this group of our culture argues that playing video games is harmful to
an individuals body and mind. An issue that is commonly mentioned is the deterioration of a
players physical health, gamers become lazy and begin to neglect necessary activities such
as exercising, eating healthy foods, acquiring damaged eyesight, having headaches and an
inability to sleep (Tews, N.p.). The cons go further than this, however, video games have even

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been proven to lead to a type of gaming addiction among some users; for these individuals, time
spent on the computer or playing games is out of balance, and has displaced work, school,
friends, and even family, (Sabella, N.p.). Although these are only two adverse repercussions, the
list is quite lengthy, ranging from being overweight to meeting online predators, and even having
an increased potential for aggression and violence (Sabella, N.p.).
Whilst these negative consequences are widely reported in media, an abundance of
constructive outcomes is evident and often overlooked. One of these constructive outcomes is the
enhancement of an individuals manual dexterity; according to the Encyclopedia of Clinical
Neuropsychology, the definition of manual dexterity is, the ability to make coordinated hand
and finger movements to grasp and manipulate objects, (Makofske, N.p.). An abundance of
careers require this fine tuning of motor skills such as surgeons, dentists, jewelers, construction
workers, engineers, and so on, proving that playing video games will assist one in the real world.
The American Psychological Association documented one study of surgeons in which there was
a significant increase in surgical skill and a reduction in errors among the surgeons who played
games (Garrett, N.p.). Marcus Schlickum, head of the Clinical Science Department at Karolinska
Medical Institute, conducted a randomized study in which thirty surgical novices played the
game Half Life over the span of five weeks. As this study came to a close, Schlickum concluded
that students who played the first-person shooter game showed a significant improvement in
their manual dexterity skills compared to a control group who refrained from playing anything
for the same five week duration (Hedman, N.p.).
Furthermore, there are several other cases in which surgeons report less mistakes and
faster operations due to playing video games. One of these surgeons is Dr. Rosser, a laparoscopic
surgeon, someone who performs surgical procedures with the assistance of a video camera and

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several thin instruments (Parekh, N.p.). Dr. Rosser quotes, the complex manual dexterity
required to be a stellar video gamer and minimally invasive surgeon are strikingly similar.
Rosser keeps an Xbox, PlayStation 2, and GameCube console adjacent to the operating room so
he can warm up with his favorite game, Super Monkey Ball, just before a procedure (Marriott,
N.p.). Due to this ritualistic habit, Rosser agreed to be a co-author of a study which concluded
that surgeons who played video games for at least three hours a week were twenty-seven percent
faster and made thirty-seven percent fewer mistakes than surgeons who did not play video games
(Marriott, N.p.).
Additionally, manual dexterity is not the only component that becomes enhanced through
the activity of playing video games, several studies have linked playing these games to better and
quicker problem-solving skills. In one study conducted at Florida State University, seventy-seven
undergraduate students were assigned to play a popular video game, Portal 2, a game requiring
persistence and elite problem-solving skills (Shute, N.p.). These players showed significant
improvements from the pretest to the posttest using a spatial reasoning test (Shute, N.p.). The
proof doesnt stop here though, in another study conducted at Nanyang Technological University,
fifty-two, non-gaming undergraduate students were asked to play Cut the Rope for five days a
week for an entire month (Olson, N.p.). After twenty hours of playing, the students were able to
concentrate sixty percent better, switch between different tasks thirty-three percent faster, and
even adapt to new situations with more ease (Olson, N.p.).
To conclude, video games can be coined as either harmful or helpful, depending on which
aspect of the player and game one chooses to focus on. Media coverage is also known to present
the destructive side more to our culture than displaying the possible benefits an individual could
cultivate from playing video games. Adverse effects may include laziness, neglect of exercise,

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damaged eyesight, addiction, and even possibly an increase in aggression. Conflicting with these
malicious effects is a series of beneficial consequences, an individuals manual dexterity and
problem-solving skills may be heightened, in return giving the individual a superior set of skills
to enter the working world. Overall, playing video games may be helpful or damaging, only
further research will rule which side comes out on top.

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Works Cited
Garrett, Keith. "The Benefits of Video Games." American Humanist Association. American
Humanist Association, n.d. Web. 16 May 2016.
Hedman, Leif. "Systematic Video Game Training in Surgical Novices Improves Performance in
Virtual Reality Endoscopic Surgical Simulators: A Prospective Randomized
Study." Research Gate. N.p., Aug. 2009. Web. 16 May 2016.
Makofske, Bri. "Manual Dexterity." Springer Link. Encyclopedia of Clinical Neuropsychology,
n.d. Web. 16 May 2016.
Marriott, Michel. "We Have to Operate, but Let's Play First." The New York Times. The New
York Times Company, 24 Feb. 2005. Web. 16 May 2016.
Olson, Samantha. "Want To Improve Your Brain Function? Try 'Cut the Rope'" Medical Daily.
N.p., 27 June 2014. Web. 16 May 2016.
Parekh, Dilip. "WHAT IS LAPAROSCOPIC SURGERY." What Is Laparoscopic Surgery? N.p.,
May 2002. Web. 16 May 2016.
Sabella, Russell A. "Negative Potential of Video Games." Education.com. Education.com, Inc.,
29 Apr. 2010. Web. 16 May 2016.

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Shute, Valerie J. "The Power of Play: The Effects of Portal 2 and Lumosity on Cognitive and
Noncognitive Skills." Science Direct. N.p., Jan. 2015. Web. 16 May 2016.
Tews, Nick. "Disadvantages of Video Game Addiction." Internet Addiction Resource Wilderness
Therapy Program. N.p., 22 Aug. 2013. Web. 16 May 2016.